On April 6th, 1941, Germany launched a massive assault on Yugoslavia.
Within 12 days of the assault Yugoslavia was crushed. Four days after the
German assault, on April 10th, 1941, Slavko Kvaternik came forward from
the region of Croatia and proclaimed "a free and independent State of
Croatia" under the direction of Ante Pavelic. At the time of the German
assault and later during Kvaternik's declaration, Pavelic was in Italy. He
arrived in Croatia on April 14th and took up control of the newly formed
independent State of Croatia. On April 17th, Croatia declared war on the
British, thus making Croatia a formal Axis partner.

Over the course of the Second World War many Croatians choose not to serve
in the various branches of the Armed Forces of the Independant State of
Croatia, but instead volunteered for service in one of the military
forces of Croatia's Axis allies, namely with Germany, or to a lesser
degree, with Italy. Croatians served in all branches of the German
Wehrmacht the Waffen SS and the SS Police. The following listings is of
the units and formations known to have been made up of Croatian volunteers
in the service of the German Armed Forces: (Many Croatians served within
other units on an individual basis, but their numbers and exact stories are
not known to history due to the nature of their individual service.)
The 369th Reinforced Infantry Regiment, 369th "Devil's" Division, 373rd
"Tiger" Division, 392nd "Blue" Division, the Croatian Airforce Legion,
The Croatian Naval Legion, the 13th Waffen SS Mountain Division
"Handschar", the 23rd Waffen SS Mountain Division "Kama", "Croatia" Police
Regiments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, Police Anti-Tank Company
"Croatia", and Gendarmerie Division "Croatia". As well, the Light
Transport Brigade and Croatian Legion both served under Italy during
WWII.

The Croatian 369th Reinforced Regiment

On the day of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, June 22, 1941, the
"Poglavnik" (Leader) of the Independant State of Croatia, Ante Pavelic, met
with the military and civilian leadership of Croatia to decide how best
to support their German ally. All present were strongly in favour of the
German attack, seeing the invasion as a battle between the progressive forces of
Europe against the Communist forces in the East. All present agreed that
Croatia should participate in the invasion alongside Germany. To
this end the representative of the German military in Croatia, Edmund
Glaise von Horstenau, was contacted.

Von Horstenau suggested that Pavelic prepare a letter to Adolf Hitler,
offering the service of Croatian troops on the Eastern Front. Pavelic
prepared this letter the following day, on June 23rd, 1941. In his letter,
Pavelic explained to Hitler the wishes of the Croatian people
to join the battle of "all freedom loving nations against Communism". Pavelic
offered ground, sea and air forces, to be committed "as soon as possible"
to fight alongside Germany. Hitler responded to Pavelic's letter on July 1st
1941, accepting the Croatian offer and thanking them for their
service. Hitler was of the opinion that ground forces could be sent quickly,
while air and sea forces would need a longer time to be properly trained and
equiped. On July 2nd, 1941, Pavelic ordered that volunteers be called for
from all branches of the Armed Forces of Croatia to join the struggle in the
East.

The ground contingent of the planned Croatian formations was the first to be
formed. The Croatians hoped for a total of 3,900
volunteers in order to form a regimental sized unit, but by the 15th
of July 1941, 9,000 men had already stepped forward and volunteered for
service! In light of such high numbers the criteria for acceptance was
raised considerably.

When finally organized on July 16th 1941, the Regiment was given the title
Verstarken Kroatischen Infanterie-Regiment 369, or 369th Reinforced Croatian
Infantry Regiment. The Regiment had 3,895 officers, NCO's and men. As
part of the Wehrmacht the men of the unit were to wear German uniforms and
use German rank insignia. A Croatian armshield consisting of 24 red and white
checkers with the title Hrvatska (Croatia) above it was to be worn on the
left arm and on the left side of the helmet.

The Regiment consisted of a regimental staff, 3 infantry battalions and an
artillery staff company. Each infantry battalion had a battalion staff, 3
infantry companies, a machine-gun company, an anti-tank company, a supply
company, and an artillery battery. The Regiment was termed "reinforced"
because of the attached artillery which was not normally organic in a unit
of regimental size. The commander of the Regiment was Colonel Ivan Markulj.
A training battalion for the Regiment was also organized at this time. It was
based in the town of Stokerau in Austria shortly after its formation.
Its main function was to process replacements for the Regiment fighting on the
front.

Once fully organized, the Regiment was transported to Dollersheim in Germany
where it was equipped and the men gave their oath to the Fuhrer, the Poglavnik,
and to Germany and Croatia. This was followed by three weeks of training after
which the Regiment was sent by train through Hungary to Dongena in Bessarabia.
From there the Regiment set off on a 750km forced march through the Ukraine
to reach the front lines. The march lasted 35 days with only one day of rest.
After the 35 day march, the destination of Budniskaja in the Ukraine was
reached and the Regiment received one week of respite. During the forced
march, 187 members of the Regiment were sent back to Croatia for various
health related reasons and two soldiers were executed for leaving their sentry
positions. In Budniskaja, a group of experienced German NCO's joined the
Regiment to assist in its final training and aclimatizing in the front lines.

On October 9th 1941, the 369th Regiment was assigned to the 100.Jäger-Division.
On the 13th of October the Regiment participated in its first
battle east of the Dnjeper River. From here on in battles were fought
around the villages and towns of Petrusani, Kremencuga, Poltava, Saroki,
Balti, Pervomajsk, Kirovgrad, Petropavlovsk, Taranovka, Grisin, Stalino,
Vasiljevka, Aleksandrovka, Ivanovka, and Garbatovo. One particular aspect
of the fighting during these battles that shocked the Croatians was the sheer
numbers of surrendering Soviet troops. Literally thousands surrendered to
the Croatians. It actually came to the point where the Regiment was so swamped
they considered releasing some of their PoWs! Many of the Soviet soldiers,
and especially the Russians and Ukrainians, prefered to surrender to the
Croatians feeling that they would get better treatment from fellow Slavs.

After nearly a year in existance, In July of 1942, the Regiment fought towards the northeast, and then turned to
the southeast along the Don River. Heavy losses were sustained by the Croats
on the 25th, 26th and 27th of July in battles around the Collective Farm
(Kolhoz) known as "Proljet Kultura" near the town of Selivanova. 46 Croatian
soldiers were killed and 176 wounded. Much of the fighting was fierce
hand to hand combat. A Croatian military cemetary was built next to the
Kolhoz and the soldiers killed in action were buried there. On August 26th
1942, the first reinforcements arrived from the training battalion in
Stokerau and the Regiment was sent to Glaskov for rest and refitting.

Between the end of August and the end of September 1942 the Regiment took
part in various training and refitting duties behind the lines. On September 22nd 1942,
Colonel Viktor Pavicic, until that time commander of
the Croatian Military Academy, replaced Colonel Markulj as the CO of the
Regiment. On September 24th 1942, Ante Pavelic made a visit to the Regiment
to bestowe decorations upon various men of the unit and to lunch with
General von Paulus of 6.Armee. Finally, on September 26th 1942, the Regiment
received orders to move out. A forced march to the south-east
through Gomcar and Gumnik followed. After a 14 hour march, the Regiment arrived in
the fateful suburbs of Stalingrad. At 11:30pm of that same day, the 1st Battalion
of the Regiment entered the front lines in Stalingrad itself. Early the next
morning, the remaining portions of the Regiment also entered the front lines
around Stalingrad. The 369th Regiment thus became the only unit of
non-Germans to participate in the attack on Stalingrad. This was actually
viewed as a great honor - a reward for its hard fought battles and excellent
successes to this point. Some talk was even heard about re-naming the 100.Jäger-Division as the
100th German-Croatian Jager Division! None of this was to come to fruition though,
as the streets of Stalingrad were to be the final resting place for the
Regiment.

The Regiment's men participated in some of the hardest battles in the attempt to
take Stalingrad. A typical day of fighting in Stalingrad for the men of the
Regiment was described by the Commander of a platoon of the 3rd Company, Lt. Bucar:

"...When we entered Stalingrad, it was ruined and in flames. We took
cover in trenches and bunkers, as the enemy was hitting us with
artilley, Katusha rockets, and with aircraft. I was lucky not to lose any
men, but the Second Platoon lost one man dead and 5 wounded, and the Third
Platoon 13 dead and wounded. Around 6:00am, German Stuka aircraft bombed
the area ahead of us, and an attack was ordered towards the northern part of
the city. My platoon's mission was to, in conjuction with a German unit,
clear the Freight Station, and then the railroad dike, and reach the Volga
River. Night fell under constant bombardment. I didn't lose any men, but our
transport unit was hit badly, and lost 10 men, 40 horses, and an equipment
truck with ammunition..."

The Commander of the 2nd Battalion, Captain Ivan Coric, described the
fighting in Stalingrad as follows:

"...During the night of 26/27 September, Russian aircraft flew extremely
low, and bombed the area where my battalion was supposed to be encamped.
However, expecting that this section might be hit, we had taken cover in
ditches around the area. At 6:00am on the 27th of September, receiving fire
from only one part of the city, I re-deployed my men in various deep
ditches, and in covered areas. We remained in reserve until 1:00pm, when
the Regimental commander ordered that my battalion move out towards the
German 227th Regiment's positions. I requested that this move be postponed
until dark as the Soviets were bombing the area with heavy artillery
and Katusha rockets and I worried about the heavy casualties we would take
moving in the open through this barrage. The Commander refused to consider
my request, and at 2:00pm, under the heaviest of bombardments, I moved out
with my Battalion towards the 227th Regiment, about 10km away. We moved in
groups of 3-4 men, with myself and my Adjutant in the lead. After only a few
hundred meters, we were hit by immense artillery fire, and my men began to
die, one after another. Company Commander Tomas was wounded. About half way
to the 227th, we were ordered to stop and for myself and my Adjutant to
report to the Commander of the 227th Regiment. I arranged my men in ditches
and cover in the surrounding area. The Commander of the 227th Regiment,
Lt.Colonel Mohr, ordered my battalion to reinforce his weakened regiment,
and for myself and my staff to remain in the vicinity of his HQ. Upon
receiving these orders, and returning to my men, darkness had fallen. We
moved out towards the positions of the 227th, crawling through ditches.
Under a moonlight sky, Soviet airplanes easily noticed us and bombed us
with Phosphorus bombs that burn upon explosion. Many of my men were in
flames. It was a horrible sight. Healthy and wounded jumped in to try and
save our burning comrades... My Battalion, now attached to the 227th Regiment, advanced with great
difficulty, taking house by house. During the night of the 28th of
September 1942, I was forced to leave my men due to a serious head wound
I received from an airplane bomb. My Adjutant, Lt. Tomislav Jelic, was
wounded in this explosion as well. I later heard that my men continued to
fight heroically until the last man of the 2nd battalion had fallen."

By the 13th of October the 369th Regiment was down to one weak
battalion and 2 weak independent companies consisting of only 983 men
total out of the original Regiment, including all reinforcements arrived
from Stokerau. Still on this day, the Regiment managed to advance a further
800 meters into the northern sector of Stalingrad.

On the 16th of October 1942, Colonel-General Sanne decorated Croatian Sergeant
Dragutin Podobnik with the Iron Cross 1st Class for
extreme heroism during the taking of the Red October factory on the 30th of
September. Colonel Pavicic is also decorated with this medal for his
excellent leadership of the Regiment.

During the remaining days of October 1942 the Regiment fought hard and its
losses accumulated. The Red October factory was continously the center of
fighting during this time. A Soviet counter-attack along the railway tracks
near the Red October factory was just barely contained, and Russian
civilians were even seen shooting Croatian and German soldiers, prompting an
order to fire indescriminately on all civilians found in the battle zone.
October 31st 1942 was spent defending Building number ten of the Red October
factory.

On November 3rd 1942, the 369th Regiment had the following troops still
available: 1 infantry company with 98 men and 8 light machine-guns, a heavy
machine-gun company with 73 men and one operational heavy machine-gun,
and an anti-tank company with 20 men and 6 cannon - only enough men to serve
two! The total remaining Croatian soldiers was 191. Of this, only 4 were
officers. This number does not include the artillery battery, whose men and
weapons were scattered throughout various German units. On the 4th of
November, a battalion of replacements arrived from Stokerau, but even these
much needed men barely made the "reinforced regiment" a reinforced battalion!

On the 6th of November the remains of the unit were attached to the
German 212th Infantry Regiment. Fighting continued in and around the Red
October factory. On November 21st 1942, news of a Soviet attack on the
flanks of the 6.Armee was heard. By November 25th 1942, the lines being
held by the Regiment were so thinly manned that Soviet scouts were able
to pass through poritions of the front into the Gemran rear. Every available
man, including the sick and lightly wounded, were therefore sent to hold the
line.

There were 5 officers, 9 NCO's and 110 soldiers left fighting at the end of
November, 1942. Food was carefully rationed and consists of 120 grams of
horse meat per meal along with some bread. Of the 3 daily meals, only one was
considered large, and this consisted of only 1/2 of the required amount
to sustain troops from day-to-day.

As December arrived, the few remaining Croatian soldiers were frozen,
hungry and in the midst of a general lack of ammunition and weapons. The
commanding officer, Colonel Pavicic, was by now living in his own world
writing out irrelevant daily orders to troops and units that no longer
existed. On the 17th of December, the Volga River froze over allowing the
Soviets to open another front on that side of the city as well.

On Christmas Day, 1942, Lt. Korobkin wrote:

"...Today, December 25, 1942, around noon, the enemy attacked from
Building number 4 into Building number 2 (Red October Factory), which is our left flank.
The enemy fought his way into number 2. Our defenders are under constant fire from
the 'small white house' accross from Building number 2. A cannon shot by the enemy
has destroyed our heavy machine-gun. At the same time as this attack on our
left flank, the enemy attacked our right flank. Despite cross-fire and
artillery support, this attack was thrown back. This success is mostly due
to the heroism of Corporal Ivan Vadlje. In the evening we received a message
from Lt.-Colonel Eichler, congratulating us for holding out. When night
fell, we took advantage of the dark, and counter-attacked on our left flank.
Using hand grenades, we destroyed the enemy unit, and re-took our previous
positions. Lt-Colonel Eichler, upon hearing of this success, sent us a new
message, in which he says that the Grenadiers of the 212th Regiment are
proud to have warriors like us Croats in their midst. Sergeants Ante
Martinovic and Franjo Filcic were killed in this counter-attack. 12 men are
wounded."

On January 10th, 1943, Colonel Pavicic, in his report to the 100.Jäger-Division,
wrote:

"I must say that, in the period from September 27, 1942, when we arrived
at Stalingrad, till today, my men have had only 4 days of rest. The last day
of rest, on the 30th of December for 24 hours, was insufficient even for
required sleep, as after 3 days and nights of constant battles in and around
the Red October, they were so over-tired, that they slept like they were
dead, and never even had time to wash, shave, or cut their hair. Immediately
after this short rest, they were again thrown into the thick of battle,
holding a small salient in our lines. They held this position until the 9th
of January, 1943, when they were pulled back into our current position. We
are under attack here again today."

On the 16th of January 1943, the Soviets launched an attack from three sides of
the Croatian positions. They were pushed several streets back and a group
led by Lt. Fiember was cut off. Under heavy attack, this group ran out of
ammunition and was later over-run. Lt.Colonel Kuhlwein attempted to save
young Fiember and his men by counter-attacking, but all of the men of this
attack were killed, including Lt.-Colonel Kuhlwein. Lieutenants Zubcevski,
Korobkin and Vadlja, with a few surviving soldiers, continued to battle
against this Soviet attack and soon all three were seriously wounded. The
German command then ordered that the last survivng Croats be pulled from the
battle lines and be employed in digging fortification lines around the
former Soviet Airforce Academy, which would serve as the last defense point
of the unit.

Shortly after, Colonel Pavicic requested from the 100.Jäger-Division that he be
replaced. As he has no more men, just a few wounded, he felt he was useless.
He suggested that Lt.-Colonel Mesic (Commander of the artillery battery) replace
him, and that he (Pavicic) be flown out of Stalingrad back to Stokerau where
a German-Croatian Division was being formed to fight the partisans in
the Balkans (This would be the 369th "Devil's" Division, see below). On the
20th of January 1943, Colonel Pavicic attempted to fly out of Stalingrad. It
is a complete mystery what happened to him. Two possibilites exist,
one that his plane was shot down and the other that he had attempted to
leave without the orders of the Divisional Command and was executed
in those last mad days of the Stalingrad pocket. The former is more likely
the truth, as there is a witness (Sergeant Ervin Juric) amongst the
surviving Croatians that claims to have seen the orders arrive for Pavicic
from General Sanne.

On the 23rd of January 1943, 18 wounded Croatians were flown out of
Stalingrad. They were the last Croatians to leave Stalingalive. Amongst
these lucky souls was Croatian Sergeant Juric, who wrote and carried with him to
safety the Kriegstagbuch (unit war diary) of the 369th Reinforced Regiment,
thereby saving for posterity the ultimate memorial to these brave men. The
only entry in the diary after January 23rd 1943 is "February 2, 1943,
Stalingrad has fallen".

Lt.-Colonel Mesic remained in Stalingrad after January 23rd 1943 with the
few surviving men of the Regiment. Most died in the desperate battles at the
end. Mesic and a handfull of soldiers survived and surrendered to the
Soviets. They were forced to walk with no warm clothes and no food, all the
way to Moscow. Here, they were thrown into a fenced field where they had to
dig holes in the snow for protection from the elements. They were fed once a
day and in 1945, Mesic was sent to Yugoslavia where the Communists
government had him liquidated.

The remnants of the 369th that had been evacuated by air from Stalingrad
due to wounds, sickness, etc, were sent to Stockerau where they alongside
the replacement battalion of the former Regiment, formed the core of a new
Croatian infantry unit, the 369th Vrazja Division, or Devil's Division.
There were approximately 1,000 of these former veterans of the original Croatian
Regiment. They were all awarded a special honor badge called the
"Croatian Legion Badge - 1941" shaped as a Linden leaf with the Croat
checkerboard and the words "Hrvatska Legija - 1941" on it.

The 369th (Croat) Infantry Division

In mid-1941, seeing the success of the Croatian soldiers on the Eastern
Front, and begining to need as many men as possible for the ongoing war, the
German Army decided to raise a Croatian Legion Division. The plan was to
send this division to fight in Russia as well.

The Division began formation on August 21st 1942 in Stokerau, Austria.
Training Battalion personnel and recovered wounded of the Croatian 369th
Regiment were the nucleous of the Division. By December of 1942, about 1,000
veterans of the 369th Regiment were in this new unit. Added to these men
were a group of fresh volunteers from Croatia. The Commander of the Division
became German Lt.-General Fritz Neidholt, and a sprinkling of German
officers and NCO's served to bolster the Division's ranks.

The men were organized into two Infanterie-Grenadier Regiments, the 369th and
the 370th Croatian Regiments. Each consisted of three infantry battalions
and a mortar company. An artillery regiment, the 369th Croatian Artillery
Regiment, itself of two light battalions of three batteries and one heavy battalion
of 2 batteries each, was also formed alongside various support units such
an engineer battalion, a signals battalion, a supply troop, a maintenance company,
three administration companies, a medical company, a veterinary
company, and a military police detachment. The division received the title
"369th (Croat) Infantry Division", but was referred to by its members as the
"Vrazja" ("Devil's") Division. The "Vrazja" name dates back to a Croatian
division (the 42nd) of the Austro-Hungarian Army in WWI. The Germans, on the
other hand, preferred to call the division the "Schachbrett" or "Chessboard"
Division, due to the
distinctive armshield of the Croatians. The Division wore German uniform and
rank insignia, and only the Croat armshield to identify it as a unit of Croatian
volunteers. Unlike the former 369th Regiment, the new 369th Division wore
its armshield on the right sleeve.
Note that, with the original 369th Regiment destroyed at Stalingrad, the new
division titled one of its regiments "369" to honor their fallen comrades on
the Eastern Front.

In January 1943 it was decided that the situation in Croatia was becoming
critical due to the Communist Partisan uprisings in the region and the
Division was instead sent to the Balkans rather than the Eastern Front.
Upon arrival in Croatia, the Division had approximately 14,000 men in its ranks.

The first operation it participated in was titled "Weiss" (White), in
northern Bosnia. This battle is sometimes referred to as the Battle of the
Neretva. Begining on January 20th 1943, and lasting until the end of March
1943, the operation turned out to be a tactical victory for the Axis, but
failed to destroy the Partisans. The Division fought well from the area of
Sisak-Kostajnica south to Prijedor towards Bosanski Petrovac, where it
hooked up with the SS "Prinz Eugen" Division. Unfortunately, the Partisans
escaped the planned trap at the Neretva River by fighting their way through
Italian areas of operation and destroying a Serbian Cetnik blocking
force.

After this first battle the 369th Division was assigned an area of
operation that ran roughly from the city of Karlovac in the west, to the
Croatia-Serbia border on the Drina River in the east, and from the
Croatian Adriatic coast in the south, to the Sava River in the north. Most
operations, however, were in the Sarajevo-Mostar regions within this
area.

The next major operation the 369th Division participated in was "Schwarz"
(Black), in May of 1943. The operation is also referred to as the "Battle of
the Sutjeska". Large Partisan forces, numbering 4 divisions and 2 brigades,
were surrounded in the Montenegro-Bosnian border area. The Partisans made
several breakout attempts, and managed to break through the surrounding
forces at Foca on the Sutjeska River. Escaping in a northwesterly direction,
3 divisions of Partisans ran into a blocking force of the 369th Division
near the town of Balinovac. A heavy battle ensued, with the Communist
guerillas managing to tear several gaps in the Division's lines and
escape. Losses were heavy on both sides.

After resting and rebuilding, the 369th next fought the Partisans in
December of 1943 in the area of Travnik (central Bosnia). Operations
"Kugelblitz" (around the town of Visoko, central Bosnia), "Schneesturm"
(eastern Bosnia) and "Waldrausch" (also eastern Bosnia) were then
participated in. Ending in late January 1944, these operations netted over
11,000 Partisan dead, but failed to destroy the guerilla movement.
Smaller scale operations continued throughout 1944.

By November the military situation in Croatia had become critical for the
Axis. The 369th Division was in the Mostar region trying to defend a large
area with only a few fortress battalions added as reinforcements. In late
January of 1945 a large Partisan offensive on Mostar threatened to
overwhelm the outnumbered 369th, and February 15th 1945, Mostar was
abandoned. The 369th was forced to retreat westwards, leaving much of its
heavy equipment behind. The slow, terrible fighting withdrawl of the Axis
forces from Croatia into Austria continued, and the 369th Division was
a part of this movement. Heavy losses were incurred by the division and
by late April of 1945 it had only about 500 men per regiment
remaining!

On May 11th, 1945 the 369th Division surrendered to British armored forces
near Bleiburg, Austria. Most of the Croatian soldiers were promptly sent
by the British into Partisan hands where they were for the most part
executed.

The 373rd (Croat) Infantry Division

On January 6th 1943, the German Army formed a second German-Croatian
Division at Dollersheim (Germany), for service in Croatia on anti-Partisan
duties. Titled 373.Infanterie-Division (Kroat.) or 373rd Infantry Division
(Croat), the Division was nicknamed "Tigar" (Tiger) by its men. The
Commander was German Lt.-General Emil Zellner. Most of the officer cadre
was German, as were a large number of NCO's. Uniforms and rank insignia
were German, with the Croatian armshield on the right sleeve.

The Division was organized into 2 Infantry-Grenadier Regiments - the 383rd
and the 384th Croatian Regiments (of 3 Infantry Battalions and a Mortar
Company each), an Artillery Regiment - the 373rd Croatian Artillery Regiment
(2 Light Battalions of 3 Batteries and 1 heavy Battalion of 2 Batteries),
and support units (Pioneer Battalion, Signals Battalion, Supply Troop,
Maintenance Company, 3 Administration Companies, Medical Company, Veterinary
Company and a Military Police Detachment). The Supply Company was
horse-drawn.

The 373rd Division was assigned an Area of Operation, reaching from Karlovac
in the east, to Sarajevo in the west, and from the Adriatic coast of Croatia
in the south, to the Sava River in the north. Most of the anti-Partisan
drives were in the Banja Luka - Bihac areas.

In May of 1944, the 373rd participated in Operation "Rosselsprung"
(Knight's Move), the attempt to capture the Communist Partisan leader
Tito. In the Fall of 1944, the Division absorbed the 2nd Jager Brigade of
the Croatian Army as its 3rd Regiment (385th Croatian Infantry Regiment).
On December 6th 1944, the 373rd participated in the defence of Knin, where
it was heavily mauled. Survivors retreated to the northwest towards Bihac.
By January of 1945, the Division's remnants were fighting in the Bihac
area as part of German XVth Mountain Corps. Battles continued with the
Division moving to the Kostajnica region in late April of 1945. Survivors
surrendered to the Partisans west of Sisak in May of 1945.

The 392nd (Croat) Infantry Division

On August 17th 1943, the German Army formed the last of the
German-Croatian Divisions. Like the 373rd before it, the 392nd was founded
at Dollersheim (Germany) for service in Croatia on anti-Partisan duties.
Titled 392 Infanterie-Division (Kroat.) or 392nd Infantry Division
(Croat), the Division was nicknamed "Plava" (Blue) by its men. The
Commander was German Lt.-General Hans Mickl. Most of the officer cadre was
German, as were a large number of NCO's.

Uniforms and rank insignia were German, with the Croatian armshield on the
right sleeve. The Division was organized into 2 Infantry-Grenadier
Regiments - the 364th and the 365th Croatian Regiments (of 3 Infantry
Battalions and a Mortar Company each), an Artillery Regiment - the 392nd
Croatian Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions with 3 Light Batteries each), and
support units (Pioneer Battalion, Signals Battalion, Supply Troop,
Maintenance Company, 3 Administration Companies, Medical Company, Veterinary
Company and a Military Police Detachment). The Supply Company was
horse-drawn.

The 392nd Division was assigned an Area of Operation, reaching from southern
Slovenia, along the Croatian Adriatic coast, to the city of Knin.
The Division fought mostly in the northern coastal area of Croatia, with its
islands. It also took part in the German attempt to construct a security
line around the Otocac - Bihac area, in January, 1945, after the fall of
Knin.

Under severe Partisan attack, the 392nd made a fighting withdrawl
westward until April 24th 1945 when north of Rijeka (Fiume) the German
cadre released the Croatian soldiers from further service and surrendered
to the Partisans.

The Croatian Airforce Legion

When Ante Pavelic's call on Croatian volunteers for the Eastern Front went
out (July 2nd 1941), an airforce unit was quickly organized. A large
number of volunteers had come forward, mostly from the already existing
Croatian Airforce, and many had to be turned away.

Colonel Ivan Mrak was selected as the Commander of the Legion. The Legion
itself was organized into a Fighter Squadron (commanded by Lt.Colonel Franjo
Dzal) and a Bomber Squadron (commanded by Lt.Colonel Vjekoslav Vicevic). The
Fighter Squadron was itself further divided into 2 Wings, as was the Bomber
Squadron. The Air Legion departed from Croatia for training in Germany on
July 15th 1941.

The Fighter Squadron:

One Wing of the Fighter Squadron was sent to the area of Furth, Germany, for
training, the other to Herzogen Aurah Airfield, nearby. Training commenced
on July 19th 1941, on Arado 96 and Me D aircraft, and lasted to the end
of September 1941 at which time the Legionnaires were deemed ready for
the Eastern Front and received Messerschmitt Bf109 fighter planes. During
the course of their training, the men had been issued Luftwaffe uniforms
adorned with the Croatian armshield and the Croatian Airforce Legion
badge on the right breast pocket.

The Squadron received the official designation '15.(Kroatische)/JG 52', and
arrived to its first Eastern Front airfield on October 6th 1941, near
Poltava. On October 9th 1941, the Squadron has its first taste of action,
when, in the Ahtijevka-Krasnograd area, a Soviet R10 was shot down. The
kill was given to the German liason pilot to the Squadron, Lt. Baumgarten.
The Squadron was transfered at the end of October 1941 to Taganrog, and
stayed in this area till December 1st 1941. The first kill by a Croatian
pilot occured in this time period by Captain Ferencina, and the second
by Lt.Colonel Dzal.

On December 1st 1941, the Squadron transfered to Marinpol. Attacks were
made on Soviet armoured columns around Pokorovskoje, Matvejeva, Kurgan,
Jeiska and Uspenskoje, and on the railway line Marinpol-Stalino. As well,
the Squadron escorted German bombers on their missions. By the end of
January 1942, the Squadron had shot down 23 Soviet airplanes (of this, 4
were MIG-6 fighters). At the end of March 1942, the Squadron received
a telegrams from the Commander of 4.Fliegerkorp, General Flugbeil, and the
Commander of 4.Luftflotte, Colonel-General Lohr, congratulating them on
their successes. In April 1942, the Squadron flew escort missions for
Stuka bombers, guarded the Marinpol airfield, and strafes Soviet
troops in the Azov Sea area. Nine more Soviet airplanes were shot down in
this period.

In May, the Squadron was transfered first to the Krimea, and shortly
thereafter, to the Artemovka-Konstantinovka region. From this base of
operation, the Squadron flew escort missions for bombers attacking
Sevastopol and patrolled the Azov Sea area. Four more Soviet planes were
downed, and a Soviet patrol boat was also sunk. From the end of May, till
June 21st 1942 (the date of the Squadron's 1000 flight), 21 more Soviet
planes were shot down. From this date till the end of July 1942, 69 more
planes are shot down.

The Squadron continued with its fine performances until July 1944 when
it was returned to Croatia to combat the increasing Partisan menace. By
this time, the Squadron had tallied 283 kills, had 14 pilots with Ace
status, and 4 pilots (Culinovic, Galic, Milkovic and Kauzlaric) that had
been decorated with the EKI and EKII.

The Fighter Squadron's losses during their service on the Eastern Front
totaled an incredibly low 2 planes and 5 pilots!

The Bomber Squadron:

Officially designated '15.(Kroatische)/KG 53'., the bomber squadron was
equipped with Dornier Do17 aircraft. It arrived on the Eastern Front on
October 25th 1941, after training at the Grosse Kampfflieger Schule 3, in
Greifswald, Germany. Their first area of operations was near Vitebsk.
The rest of the Bomber Squadron's assignments were in the Northern Sector
of the Eastern Front, including the bombing of Leningrad and Moscow. On
November 9th 1941, the Squadron was congratulated by Fieldmarshall
Kesselring for its actions thus far. After flying 1247 sorties on the
Eastern Front, the Squadron was disolved in December of 1942, and
integrated into the Croatian Airforce for battle against the Partisans.
During the time it was active, 5 aircraft and 20 men were lost by the
Squadron.

The Croatian Naval Legion

Soon after Pavelic's call for Croatian volunteers to fight on the Eastern
Front went out on July 2nd 1941, enough naval officers and men came
forward to form the Croatian Naval Brigade. This Brigade had all together
343 members, of which 23 were officers, 220 NCO's and 100 sailors.

It is interesting to note that Italy had vetoed the forming of a Croatian
national Navy that would serve in the Adriatic Sea, so all of the best
naval personnel in Croatia stepped forward into German service. (The
Italians had no problems with the formation of a Croatian Legion unit that
would serve on the Eastern Front).

Shortly after formation, the Brigade received the title "Croatian Naval
Legion" (Hrvatska Pomorska Legija), and became a part of the German Navy
(Kriegsmarine). The first commander was Frigate Captain Andro Vrkljan. He
was later replaced by Battleship Captain Stjepan Rumenovic.

The Naval Legion was sent for training to Varna, Bulgaria, on the Black Sea.
Upon arrival in Varna on July 17th 1941, the Croatian Legionnaires
received their uniforms and started with training on German minesweepers
and submarines, as they were to be the future crews of these ships in the
Black Sea. The training during this period, over and above the required
naval training on the boats, consisted of infantry training, signals
training, rowing, and German language instruction. German Admiral Schuster
was one of the dignitaries that paid a visit to the Croatian Legionnaires
during their training in Bulgaria.

Training was completed on September 22nd 1941, and on the same day the
Legion set off for the Soviet Union, where they arrived on the 30th of
September 1941. The official military designation for the Legion was
23.Minesuch-Flottilla, or 23rd Minesweeping Flotilla.

At the end of September 1941, the Legion was stationed in Geniscek. The
town was fortified shortly after the unit arrived and patrolling
commenced - both shore patrols and patrols along the coastline. A report
from this period indicated that the Croatian sailors were "eager to do
battle".

An attack on Geniscek in late 1941 by the Soviets was destroyed thanks to
Luftwaffe intervention. At the time only the Croatian Legion, a squad of
Romanian cavalry and a small German garrison were present to defend the
town. The Winter was passed in digging bunkers, and keeping warm. During
this period Captain Vrkljan of the Legion was travelling with a German
inspection team throughout the region. Amongst other adventures, the
Inspection team fought as infantry in the town of Teodozija during a
Soviet attack. During these long, cold, boring Winter months, the Soviets
attempted to destroy the troop moral by continuously dropping propaganda
leaflets, which, among other things, poked fun at the Germans for having a
bad Christmas, and trying to convince them that only surrender will bring
about the possibility of ever having another good one. All leaflets
ended with "Long live Moscow! Down with Hitler". The Croatian Legionnaires
used the leaflets in their stoves.

At the begining of April 1942, the ice in the Geniscek harbour finally
began to loosen, and the Croatians prepared to depart from Geniscek. Being
well liked by the locals, the Town Council of Geniscek named a street
"Hrvatska" (Croatia) in their honor.

By mid-April, the ice was almost gone, and the Croatian ships could once
again set sail. Mines were ordered placed around the harbour entrance as a
defense against possible Soviet attack, however, in a catastrophic accident
during the laying of the mines, 25 Croatians were killed and 2 boats destroyed.
On May 25th 1942, the Croatian naval flotilla sailed out of Geniscek. They
had manned their positions in this small town for 8 months, and had defended
it from all attacks with poise and courage, and had sustained minimal
losses.

In August of 1942, the Legion was at Marinpol. The Legion at this time had
31 MFK's (Motorfischkuter), and 35 other motor boats under their command.
Including the command ship "Tovaris" (captured from the Soviet navy) and
other smaller boats, the Legion was 130 boats strong. The Legion's
commander, besides his Croatian crews, also commanded 200 German sailors
that had been assigned to the Legion. The German contingent was commanded
by Ensign Plautz.

Just prior to New Years Eve, 1942, the Legion transfered their ships to new
crews, and were sent to Croatia for rest. After this, they were sent to
Germany for further training, and after this back to Varna. In October of
1943, the Legion was transferred to Trieste, where men of the Legion were
assigned to various Kriegsmarine ships, thereby officially ending the
Croatian's service as a single unit of the German Navy.

It is interesting to note that, during their tour of duty in the Crimea, Sea
of Azov and the Black Sea, the Croatians managed to recruit into their ranks
several former Red Army sailors of Ukrainian nationality. Some of these
Ukrainians brought their ships with them to the Croatians!

A Croatian Coastal Artillery Battery was also attached to the Legion in
the summer of 1943.

The Croatian Legionnaires wore regular Kriegsmarine uniforms with only
the red-white checkerboard shield of Croatia on their left arm to
distinguish them. The coastal artillery wore German field grey, with the
arm-shield.

The 13th Waffen SS Mountain Division "Handschar" (Croatian Nr.1)

When the Independant State of Croatia proclaimed its independance on April
10th 1941, during the German invasion of Yugoslavia, part of the land it
claimed was the former Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina
(Bosna i Hercegovina). The province was an ethnic and religious mix, with a
portion of the population being Catholic Croatian, a portion being Orthodox
Serbian, and a portion being Croatians of the Muslim faith. It was these
Muslim inhabitants of Bosnia that Himmler and the SS would target in their
recruitment of a Croatian SS Division (although a portion of the future
division's men would be Catholic Croatian as well).

The reasons for the recruitment in particular of Croatian Muslims by the SS
were many-fold. For one, Himmler was fascinated by the Islamic faith, and
thought Muslims to be fearless soldiers. Himmler also subscribed to the
propaganda theory that Croatians (and therefore the Croatian Muslims) were
not, in fact, Slavic people, but actually of Aryan (Gothic) descent, and
thereby acceptable to the racially "pure" SS. The fact that this ludicrous
theory would not hold up to any kind of serious scrutiny was conveniently
ignored. Finally, the Germans were hoping to rally the World's 350 million
Muslims to their side, in a struggle against the British Empire. The
creation of a Muslim, albeit European Muslim Division, was considered a
stepping stone to this greater end.

Adolf Hitler approved of Himmler's idea on February 13th 1943. Prior to
the formation of the division, however, approval also had to be granted by
the Croatian government, as their citizens were to be recruited, and on
Croatian territory. The Croatian Poglavnik, Ante Pavelic, and his
ministers had many problems with the idea, but eventually agreed to the
division's creation on March 5th 1943. The divisional strength reached the
required 26,000 men by mid 1943, though not all men were volunteers (some
being begged, bribed and outright kidnapped into service). Also, 2,800 of
the men were Catholic Croatians and not Muslim.

The new division was assigned the number "13", and originally named the "13
SS Frei.Gebirgs Division (kroatien). The full name "13
Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS 'Handschar' (kroatische Nr. 1)" was not given
until May, 1944. A "Handschar" (or Handzar in Croatian) is curved Turkish
sword - the Scimitar. This sword has historically been the symbol of Bosnia.
The Division was to have 2 Infantry Regiments (Waffen-Gebirgs-Jager
Regiments der SS 27 & 28 - kroatisches Nrs. 1 & 2), an Artillery Regiment
(SS-Gebirgs-Artillerie Regiment 13), a Reconnaisance Company, a Panzerjager
Company, a Flak Company, a Pioneer Battalion, and other support units; and
was designated an SS "mountain" division. The first commander (from March 9,
1943 till August 1, 1943) was SS Standartenfuhrer Herbert von Obwurzer.
Oberfuhrer (later Brigadefuhrer) Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig took over till June
1st 1944, when Desiderius Hampel (Oberfuhrer, later Brigadefuhrer)
replaced him. Hampel commanded the remnants of the division until its
surrender on May 8th 1945.

The uniform worn by the division was regular SS issue, with a divisional
collar patch showing an arm, holding a Scimitar, over a Swastika. On the
left arm was a Croatian armshield (red-white chessboard). Headgear was the
Muslim Fez, in field grey (normal service) or red ("walking out"), with the
SS eagle and death's head emblazoned. Non-Muslim members could opt to wear
the normal SS mountain cap. The oval mountain troop Edelweiss patch was worn
on the right arm.

The division departed for training in occupied France, where the full
complement arrived by September 1943. It was at Villefranche, during this
period of training, that the division became the only SS Division to mutiny.
Much has been made of this, however, while it is true that some German
officers were killed during the mutiny, the fact is that only very few
soldiers participated in the uprising. Fault can be squarely placed on 3
Communists, infiltrated into the ranks of the division, and a handfull of
malcontents. Not only did a great majority of the troops not participate in
the rebellion, but most either had no idea it was happening, or actively
helped to quash it. 14 soldiers were executed as mutineers.

By mid-February 1944, the division finished its training (some time was
spent at Neuhammer, Germany for training), and was sent back to Bosnia for
active service (against Communist Partisans). Its area of operation was
northeastern Bosnia, western Serbia, and southern Sirmium. The division
participated in several anti-Partisan operations (such as "Wegweiser",
"Save", "Osterei", "Maibaum", "Maiglockchen" etc.). Some successes were
achieved, and overall the "Handschar" showed itself as a competent
anti-guerilla unit.

With the penetration of the Red Army up to the Croatian borders in late
1944, the Division was trasfered to southern Hungary, and became involved in
front-line fighting. Desertions plagued the Division from this point on, as
many of the Muslims decided to return to Bosnia to protect their homes and
families. The men who remained contiuned to fight valiantly against
overwhelming odds, and were slowly pushed westward out of Hungary into
Austria. The remnants of the division surrendered to British troops on May
8th 1945.

In conclusion, one must say that the "Handschar" Division was certainly not
a top-of-the line, elite SS unit. However, when engaged in the areas and
battles its men were promised to fight in (that is, in Bosnia, against
Communist forces) the division fought well. Certainly, the majority of
claims in much of the WW2 literature that the "Handschar" was "bad, prone to
attrocities" etc, as claims by authors who have not studied the subject
fully, but rather parrot one another without proper research.
Men of the "Handschar" won 5 Knight's Crosses, 5 Crosses in Gold, and 1
Cross in Silver.

The 23rd Waffen SS Mountain Division "Kama"

Adolf Hitler gave approval for the raising of a 2nd Croatian Waffen SS
division on June 17, 1944, giving this fledgling division the honorary title
"Kama" (a short Turkish sword), and assigning the divisional number 23. The
full title of the division was therefore: 23.Waffen-Geb.Div. der SS "Kama"
(kroatische Nr. 2). The decision was also made to raise a Corps command
that would eventually lead the 13th SS Division ("Handzar") and the 23rd
SS Division ("Kama"). Actual recruitment for the "Kama" Division had
started on June 10th 1944. A sizeable number of German officers and NCO's
were made available to the division. Croatian officers and men from the
"Handzar" Division were also transfered to "Kama", including the entire
Reconnaissance Battalion. To this core of troops was added a new batch of
Croatian/Croatian-Muslim recruits.

At its peak strength in September 1944, "Kama" had 3,793 men.
Fearing Partisan disruption of the new division in training, the assembly
site chosen for the division was the Backa Region. Backa had been annexed by
Hungary following the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, and was far enough
from negative outside influences on the troops.

The division began to take shape in July and August of 1944.
During the month of September 1944, the Red Army made dangerous advances
into the Balkans and Hungary. The training bases for the "Kama" Division
were suddenly precariously close to the front lines. The SS-FHA attempted to
get the division ready for combat, citing the unrealistic date of September
24 as when the unit would be ready for frontline service. The training state
of the recruits was still in the basic stage, however. It would be sheer
suicide to commit the division to front-line service!

The unrealistic date of committal passed. The SS-FHA soon realized that no
time was left for the "Kama" Division to form. As the Red Army moved into
Hungary, German military leaders decided to disband the unit and make as
much use of the personnel as possible by transferring them as replacemetns
to other divisions. The decision was made in October, 1944, and most of the
divisional elements went ot the 31st SS Division.

The Muslims of "Kama" were ordered to report to the "Handzar" Division. Some
of them deserted on the way to "Handzar" headquarters, most reported for
duty. Divisional number "23" was then given to the Dutch Panzer-Grenadier
Division just being formed.

During its short, 5 month existence, "Kama" commander was
SS-Stardartenfuhrer Hellmut Raithel. A collar patch depicting a sun was
designed for the division, but few were actually produced.

The "Kama" Division was envisioned as an anti-Partisan unit, but the
worsening German military situation required that the division's
organization be aborted.

On July 15th 1943, an agreement was signed between the Independant State
of Croatia and Germany, by which a German-Croatian Police Force
(Deutsch-Kroatische Polizei), under German Police & SS command, was to be
raised and organized. The Commander of this new force was SS Major-General
Konstantine Kammerhofer, and was intended for "internal security duties".
Initially, one regiment, consisting of 2 battalions, was formed, but the
strength of this force continually grew. By the Spring of 1944, 15
Battalions had been formed, organized into 5 regiments. These regiments were
named "Polizei Freiwilligen-Regiment" and numbered 1-5.
As well, 15 Independant Police Battalions were raised, titled
Polizei-Freiwilligen-Bataillon 'Kroatien', and numbered 1-15. In early 1945,
12 of these battalions were joined into a "Gendarmerie Division Croatia",
but by all accounts, this was a "paper division", as the battalions were
scattered all over Croatian territory, and the new headquarters couldn't
possibly gather them together under the logistical and strategic
circumstances of the time.

The BdO (Befelshaber der Ordnungspolizei) in Zagreb, in December of 1944,
raised a "Polizei Panzer-Jaeger Kompanie Kroatien", that was independant of
the above regiments and division.

All together, 32,000 Croatians served in these German police units, and,
while not frontline troops, helped keep order and defend strategic positions
throughout the Independant State of Croatia.

The Light Transport Brigade (Italian-Croatian)

In July 1941, Italian General Antonio Oxilio requested an audience with
Croatian Poglavnik Ante Pavelic. During their meeting, General Oxilio
presented Pavelic with a letter from the Italian High Command, asking that a
Legion, even a symbolic one, be formed by Croatia for service in the Italian
Army, on the Eastern Front. The fact was that the Italians felt hurt. The
Croatians were serving with Germany in the Soviet Union, and yet, no one had
advised the Italians of this, let alone asked for their permission.
The Croatians, although not pleased with this request, decided not to insult
an ally, even a dubious one. Therefore, on July 26th 1941, the Croatian
Army Command issued the appropriate orders, and the "Light Transport
Brigade" (Laki Prijevozni Zdrug) came into being. The majority of the
troops for the unit came from a battalion of volunteers that were intended
as reinforcements for the 369th Regiment in Russia.

The Brigade's first posting was in the city of Varazdin, in Croatia, where
they trained, and awaited the Italians to organize their expeditionary
force. The wait stretched on, as the Italians had many organizing problems.
In the meantime, the Brigade performed sweeps in the Kordun, Banija and
Bosanska Krajina regions of Croatia, searching for small groups of Yugoslav
soldiers and bands of outlaws that were hiding in the forests and fighting
against the new Croatian state.

On December 17th 1941, the Italians finally ordered the Brigade to travel
to Italy where they received their full complement of weapons and
transports. 3 Months of intense training exercises followed.
At the end of the training schedule, the Legionnaires were visited by
General Ugo Cavallerio of the Italian Headquarters Staff, and the Minister
of Defense of Croatia, Slavko Kvaternik. The Brigades battle flag was
presented at this ceremony, and the men took their oath to Italy, Croatia,
the Duce, the Italian King, and the Poglavnik.

The Brigade arrived at the Eastern Front on April 16th 1942, near the town
of Harcjusk. Here they were attached to the Italian 3rd Rapid Division
"Principe Amadeo Duca D'Aosta", and received the remainder of their
equipment and transports (44 trucks, 3 automobiles and 6 motorcycles).
On the 11th of May, near the town of Pervomajska, the Brigade fought its
first battle, alongside the 63rd Blackshirt "Tagliamento" unit. 5 men were
lost in this minor engagement.

The Brigade, during the next 10 months, fought around the towns of
Stokovo, Greko-Timofejevka, and Veseli-Nikitovo. On July 11th 1942, the
Brigade was transfered to the Italian XXXVth Corps. The very next day,
with a battle-group of Blackshirts, the Brigade fought its way 30km deep
into Soviet lines. Battles follow around Vladimirovka, Krasna Poljana and
Fjodorovka. On July 28th 1942 the Brigade crossed the Donjec River at
Lubanskoje. On August 25th 1942, the Soviets counter-attacked and the
Brigade was involved in heavy fighting. The Croatians managed to hold
their lines, inflicting 20 casualties and capturing 101 Russian soldiers.
The Croatians lost 8 dead and 12 wounded. For this battle, the Brigade was
awarded the "Sul Campo" decoration by the commander of the XXXVth
Corps.

On December 19th 1942, the Brigade was holding Hills 210 and 168 near
Hracin. Here they were surrounded by a massive Soviet attack, but
continued fighting till December 21st 1942, when they ran out of
ammunition and were over-run. There were no survivors and the unit
was totally destroyed.

The Italian Croatian Legion

After the destruction of the "Light Transport Brigade", the Italians
sponsored the creation of a new "Legion" unit. It came into existance in May
of 1943, only 4 months before the Italian collapse, as a 1,800 man strong
Infantry Regiment, reinforced with its own Replacement Battalion and an
Artillery Battalion of 2 Batteries. This "Legion" was sent to northern
Italy, to the Lake Garda area, and then the Italo-Slovene border area. After
the Italian surrender, the men of the Legion were used to reinforce the
existing German-Croatian Divisions, specially the 373rd "Tiger"
Division.